Tradition describes the fundamental aspects of your character, like how and why she works magik. The Traditions are the organized force fighting for control over reality. Each Tradition has its own way of recruiting, teaching and organization. But most importantly, they all fight against the Technocracy, the Nephandi, and the Marauders.

These monastic marital artists treat magick as a product of their internal light. They explore the sphere of Mind to divine why the body and soul can never be united. Though somewhat detached from mortal affairs, these ascetics are becoming ever more involved the Ascension War as they see the Technocracy destroying humanity's chances for true enlightenment. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Brawl ability and their specialty sphere in Mind.

Though it has lost considerable influence in recent years, the Chorus still holds to its basic tenet -- that the Great One is the true source and the true destination of Ascension. Its members live within the labyrinths of ancient cathedrals, seeking to understand the sphere of Prime, the source of all creation. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Linguistic (Latin).

Lovers of music, dance and art, these mages practice magick as a way of life. Rock music was their creation and is still their passion. In their quest they have mastered the sphere of Time, the better to allow them to escape the physical world. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Performance ability.

Some foci:

incense -- Correspondence/Spirit

music -- Forces/Mind, ring -- Entropy/Matter

vice -- Life/Prime/Time

Some concepts of Cult of Ecstasy include: entertainers, thrill-seekers, musicians, artists, and night club owners.

Continuing the most ancient tradition of magick on earth, the Dreamspeakers are shamans of considerable mystery and potency. They are masters of the sphere of Spirit, and use their powers to converse with the great spirits and thereby divine the secrets of reality. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Lore (Cosmology) ability.

Some foci:

crystals -- Life/Mind/Prime

drums -Correspondence/Entropy/Forces/Matter/Time

feathers -- Spirit

Some concepts of Dreamspeakers: include environmentalists, shamans, hitchhiker, sleepwalkers.

Misunderstood and distrusted by the other Traditions, the Euthanatos are thought of as little more than a death cult. Its members use their mastery of the sphere of Entropy to provide the Good Death to those who to them are already dead and those who stand between them and the War of Ascension. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Firearms ability.

Once the proud masters of reality, the members of the Order of Hermes have fallen far since the Middle Ages. Practicing the magick of ritual and calculation, they rigorously pursue ultimate power. Toward this end they have mastered the sphere of Forces, which grants them power over the essence of the universe. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Occult ability.

Some foci:

circle -- Spirit

language -- all spheres including those with another focus ( Linguistics ability needed)

Seal of Solomon -- Forces/Prime

show stone -- Mind/Time.

Some concepts of Order of Hermes include: mathematicians, members of secret organizations (Golden Dawn, CIA, etc.), alchemists, Cabalists, and scientists.

Many believe the bizarre Sons of Ether to be offshoots of the dreaded Technomancers. Parasites who feed upon the ideas the Technomancers discard, these mad scientists seek to create a science that adapts to the will of humanity instead of oppressing it. They are masters of the sphere of Matter, giving them great control over physical reality. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Science ability.

This ancient Tradition is concerned mainly with the substance and power of life, and is fascinated with life's primary constituents, such as blood. Its members specialize in the sphere of Life, as they study how mortal life grows from a lifeless world. Characters belonging to this tradition, begin with one free Medicine ability.

Some foci:

blood -- Life/Prime

cauldron Entropy/Spirit

herbs -- Matter

wand -- Correspondence/Forces/Time

personal weapon -- Mind

Some concepts of Verbena include: Wiccans, New Agers, druids, and witches.

Though one-time members of the Technocracy, the Virtual Adepts are accepted by the other Traditions. They are the masters of the sphere of Correspondence, personified by their cyber-reality computer net. Working through this growing net, they view technology as the means to break the boundaries of reality. Characters belonging to this tradition begin with one free Computer ability.

These are mages who realized on their own about the dynamic nature of reality. Though mages without mentors suffer because of the lack of training, they do not depend on the use of foci to cast their magicks. Orphans find it harder to advance in their magicks, but they are not restricted by the perceptions of the traditions. They forge their own reality. Characters not belonging to any traditions do not get the benefits of a specialty sphere.